Dead animal disposal practices may not be a topic for the dinner table. But it’s a topic that experts say deserves more attention. In a recent study, Igor Paploski of the University of Minnesota evaluated dead animal disposal practices, and the associated risk of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) spread.
“When it comes to dead animal handling, we know what we should do but we aren’t able to do it adequately,” Paploski says.
Current research in the U.S. and Canada shows farms that perform rendering have higher odds of PRRS virus outbreaks than farms that perform composting, he shared during the Leman Swine Conference in Saint Paul, Minn.
“These animals died for a reason. Often infectious diseases are involved, so it makes sense that steps involved in getting these dead animals out of the farm are important in biosecurity and biocontainement protocols,” Paploski explains.
Armed with a long list of questions about how dead animal removal from farms is performed, Paploski obtained 10 standard operating procedures (SOPs) covering 200 sow farms in Minnesota before heading out to visit the farms and sample dead boxes.
“The SOPs were often unclear on how dead sows and piglets are to be removed, when animals should be removed, which PPE employes should use, if employees are allowed to re-enter the farm, which tools should be used, how should tools be cleaned, and where should dead animals be taken,” Paploski says. “However, just because SOPs weren’t clear, doesn’t mean good actions and consistent practices weren’t followed – but training of new employees, quality control and a clear reference of what is expected wasn’t always laid out clearly to the farm employees.”
During his research study, he identified potential areas of improvement associated with dead animal removal biosecurity, such as ensuring that machinery involved removing dead animals are washed and disinfected, having a directional flow of dead animals, avoiding that leachate flow toward roads and ensuring that carcasses sent for composting are fully decomposed at the end.
That’s why he advises reviewing the clarity of SOPs surrounding how and when to handle mortality, including the wearing of separate PPE, disinfection protocols and removal procedures.
During the study, he discovered that environmental samples from rendering boxes can test positive and may also contain viable viruses. This becomes an even greater concern when you consider the traffic on the roads near the rendering boxes.
“The presence of positive samples on roads around the rendering boxes suggests a potential pathway for PRRSV transmission between farms,” he points out. “Are we comfortable with this type of risk?”
Tips to Minimize Risk
He says opportunities for improvement exist and offers these tips for producers to minimize risk of disease spread from dead animal handling practices.
1. Create a log for key procedures involving dead animal removal.
2. Regularly check dead animal removal procedures for biosecurity flaws, including checking the dead box itself.
3. Invest in specific structures to get dead animals out of the farm.
4. Initiate regular cleaning of dead animal rooms with room-specific PPE.
5. Better standardize procedures to minimize environmental contamination.
6. Avoid dropping animals on the ground when removing them from the farm (using tractor buckets is preferable, since they can be cleaned).
7. Consider installing loading dock bumpers to protect the structure where skidloaders park near the barn to receive dead animals. This allows skid loaders to be parked close enough to facilitate the dumping of dead animals while minimizing the risk of damaging the barn due to accidental bumps to its structure.
8. Use tractor/skidloader bucket to carry dead animals.
9. Wash and disinfect machinery used to carry dead animals.
10. Create a directional flow for carrying dead animals to rendering box/compost, with separate access points for loading and removing dead animals from dead boxes.
11. Consider building ramps to drop animals on dead boxes.
12. Once in the dead box, leachates should be restrained and flow directionally (not to roads).
13. If possible, have separate access points for rendering trucks.
14. Ensure composting results in a fully decomposed carcass.
15. Control wildlife around the rendering box.
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